Bottler
Sometimes, dreads do not rely on their own innate abilities to cause fear in their foes. These rare dreads, known as bottlers, capture and change the lingering terrors of others to suit their own purposes. To them, haunts are nothing more than weapons and tools. Unquiet Spirit (Ex) The bottler’s affinity with haunts has taught him much. He gains an insight bonus on skill checks made to notice and identify haunts equal to half his class level, and may notice them early automatically, with no check required. This ability replaces fearsome insight. Sacred Bottles Starting at 2nd level, bottlers gain a number of sacred bottles equal to half their class level. These bottles are treated as potion bottles for the purpose of being attacked or destroyed, but gain additional hardness equal to half the bottler’s class level. The bottles can appear in any shape or size, but always share the same rules. If any of the bottles are destroyed, new ones are created to replace them the next time the bottler would normally regain power points after resting. If a sacred bottle leaves the bottler’s possession, it breaks and becomes useless. A bottle with a captured haunt has an obvious visible effect (filled with smoke, glowing green, etc.). As the bottler gains in power, this ability improves. At 5th level, the bottler may, as a standard action, break one of his sacred bottles to spontaneously re-create a haunt from memory. Each of the haunts presented below are used as a part of the bottler’s training, and he is assumed to have experienced and survived them (that is, he may create them freely with this ability). The area of the haunt is centered on the bottler, and he may automatically control the haunt each round as long as he has at least one empty sacred bottle remaining. This haunt lasts for a number of rounds equal the bottler’s Charisma modifier, or until destroyed (whichever happens first). This is a supernatural effect. While the haunt is active, the area changes subtly to match the haunt’s effects (a ghostly alleyway for the choking hands haunt, or a long hallway for the orbs haunt, for example). This has no in-game effect, and vanishes as soon as the haunt is destroyed. ---- Slamming Portal: ''LE haunt (doors or shutters in 5-ft. radius); ML 1; Perception DC 10 (to see a portal closing); hp 2; tricked by ''hide from undead. The haunted door or window slams shut, held fast as if by hold portal ''for 1 minute or until the haunt is destroyed. ---- ''Orbs: ''CE haunt (10-ft.-by-20-ft; hallway); ML 2; Perception DC 10 (to notice pulsating, glowing orbs); hp 4; destroyed by ''slow ''effect. This swarm of glowing orbs, ranging in size from tiny peas to large melons, cause witnesses to be subjected to the effects of ''scare ''(DC 13). The bottler must be at least 6th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Cold Spot: ''NE persistent haunt (15-ft. radius); ML 3; Perception DC 10 (to notice sudden temperature drop); hp 13; damaged by fire. When the area is entered, the temperature immediately drops to freezing, drawing warmth from the living. This duplicates ''chill touch ''(DC 11), automatically affecting all creatures in the area for each round they remain. A bottler must be at least 7th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Choking Hands: ''CE persistent haunt (15-ft.-by-30-ft.; alleyway); ML 4; Perception DC 20 (to see coalescing vapor); hp 18; tricked by ''hide from undead. This spirit manifests as a pair of spectral skeletal hands, latching on to the throats of the victim. This +4 touch attack duplicates a vampiric touch ''each round, adding the temporary hit points to the haunt’s hp total. A bottler must be at least 8th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Mad Monk: ''CN haunt (25-ft.-radius; churchyard); ML 5; Perception DC 20 (to hear pouring liquid); hp 10. A robed monk materializes, offering a gold chalice to a target in the area. There is a 50% chance that the liquid within functions as a ''cure critical wounds ''- otherwise, it functions as the ''poison ''spell (DC 16). The haunt ends as soon as one creature drinks from the chalice. The bottler must be at least 9th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Baleful Apparition: ''CE haunt (30-ft.-by-30-ft.; chamber); ML 6; Perception DC 18 (to feel an ominous presence); hp 12. Victims of the haunt are subject to disturbing, phantasmal images. These unnatural sights and sounds cause all in the area to be affected as if by ''fear ''(DC 16). A bottler must be at least 10th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Deathless Defenders: ''CE haunt (30-ft. radius); ML 7; Perception DC 20 (to see spectral image of a decayed regiment); hp 14; tricked by ''hide from undead. Appearing as regiments of spectral, decaying warriors, these haunts charge those in the area bearing rusting arms and armor. These attacks mimic the effects of eyebite ''(DC 19). The bottler must be at least 11th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Ghastly Whispers: ''CE haunt (up to 40-ft. radius); ML 8; Perception DC 20 (to hear whispers growing louder); hp 16. Those in the area can hear a faint whispering, growing louder and louder. This maddening disorientation functions as an ''insanity ''(DC 20). The bottler must be at least 12th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Ectoplasmic Miasma: ''CE persistent haunt (30-ft. radius; ethereal cloud); ML 9; Perception DC 15 (to see congealing mist); hp 40; tricked by ''hide from undead. Dozens of spectral visages appear, howling and twisting, in the fog, their limbs and faces mangled. These figures pass through those in the area, duplicating both solid fog ''and ''acid ''fog (DC 17), except that they deal untyped damage. The bottler must be at least 13th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Headless Horseman: ''CE persistent haunt (10-ft.-by-50. ft.; bridge); ML 10; Perception DC 20 (to hear the galloping of a phantom horse); hp 45. This haunt appears as a headless, mounted rider, wearing ancient armor, head swinging from the saddle of its rotting horse. Every round, it gallops by, attacking a target within the area as if with ''mage’s sword ''(with a +16 attack bonus). The bottler must be at least 14th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Spectral Carriage: ''CE haunt (15-ft.-by-60-ft.; roadway); ML 11; Perception DC 22 (to hear galloping hooves); hp 22. Appearing as a translucent horse-drawn carriage, full of laughing ghosts in rotting finery, this haunt swerves to run down all the area. This functions as a ''clenched fist ''(+25 attack), affecting every target in the area. The bottler must be at least 15th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Hungry Earth: ''CE haunt (80-ft.-radius; graveyard); ML 12; Perception DC 29 (to feel the ground shift); hp 24. Deep, yawning graves open in the earth beneath each target in the area, functioning as an ''earthquake ''cast on open ground (DC 15 or 20). Victims that fall into the grave are buried as normal until they free themselves or are recovered. The bottler must be at least 16th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Gjenganger: ''CE persistent haunt (up to 65-ft. radius); ML 13; Perception 28 (to see the haunt becoming corporeal); hp 58. The gjenganger manifests corporeally, appearing as a twisted, stunted double of a target in the area. However it appears, the haunt relies on its “dead man’s pinch”, a +13 melee touch attack that causes bubonic plague, as if by ''contagion ''(DC 16). The bottler must be at least 17th level to use this haunt. ---- ''Keening Suicides: ''CE haunt (60-ft.-radius; tower); ML 14; Perception DC 30 (to hear distant, plummeting screams); hp 28. This haunt appears with the awful wails of those leaping to their deaths from high atop the tower. These wails overwhelm the living, filling them with lethal sorrow. This functions as a ''wail of the banshee ''(DC 23) to all within the area. The bottler must be at least 18th level to use this haunt. ---- This ability replaces the bonus feats normally gained by a dread at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter. '''Bottle of Command (Su)' At 2nd level, the bottler learns to use his sacred bottles to control haunts. After the bottler has successfully identified a haunt, he may attempt to control it as a free action by expending one of his daily uses of terror. To control a haunt, a bottler must succeed at a manifester level check against a DC equal to 10 + the manifester level of the haunt. If the haunt is persistent, the DC of this save is increased by 2. A bottler must have at least one empty sacred bottle to control a haunt. A bottler in control of a haunt may choose either its next target (if the haunt is currently active) or when it triggers (if the haunt is currently inactive). If a bottler fails to control a haunt, he may not attempt to control it again for 24 hours. At 10th level, a bottler may completely possess a haunt he controls. While the bottler is possessing a haunt, he is dazed, but controls all actions the haunt takes, when it triggers, and may activate the haunt on his turn, instead of when it would normally act. In addition, the bottler may cause a possessed haunt to count as persistent for a number of rounds equal to his Charisma modifier (minimum 1). If the haunt is destroyed while he is possessing it, the possession ends and the bottler is stunned for a number of round equal to the number of rounds he was possessing it. A bottler may cease possessing a haunt at any time as a free action, in which case the haunt also ends immediately. This ability replaces the dread’s 2nd and 10th level terrors. Bottle of Sealing (Su) At 11th level, the bottler learns to seal haunts within his bottles for later use. A bottler may, as a free action, expend one of his daily terror uses to attempt to capture a haunt instead of controlling it. To capture a haunt, the bottler must succeed at a manifester level check against a DC equal to 15 + the manifester level of the haunt. If the haunt is persistent, the DC of this save is increased by 2. If a bottler attempts to capture a haunt with CR higher than his class level, he automatically fails, but the use of terror is not expended. A bottler must have at least one empty sacred bottle to attempt to capture a haunt. If a bottler fails to capture a haunt, he may not attempt to capture it again for 24 hours. A captured haunt is inactive, and is immune to all effects until it is freed (a standard action). When it is freed, the haunt immediately becomes active and controlled by the bottler, treating him as the center of its area. Each captured haunt takes up one sacred bottle – if the bottler has no empty sacred bottles, he may not control or capture any haunts until he has freed up a bottle by releasing a haunt. If a bottle containing a haunt is destroyed, the haunt within it dissipates harmlessly. At 15th level, the bottler gains a +4 insight bonus on the save to control or capture a haunt. He may also attempt to control or capture a haunt one additional time in a 24- hour period if he fails the first attempt. This ability replaces twin fear. Category:Source: Psionics Augmented: Seventh Path